The Boy is Mine
by Baloo
Summary: (M/A) Max finds a rival for Alec’s heart in the most unexpected source.
1. Epiphany

**Summary:** Max finds a rival for Alec's heart in the most unexpected source. 

**A/N:** I know this seems a little… or a lot… like Logan-bashing. And it is. But the whole story is intended to be something of a parody, so expect exaggeration of all the characters' more prominent traits – and don't take offence from any of it. It's just for fun… I love 'em all. 

**A/A/N:** Title credit goes to Brandy and Monica's song of the same name. 

**Timeline:** Sometime after "Hello, Goodbye" but before "Freak Nation". 

  
  
  


** The Boy is Mine **

  
- Epiphany - 

  
  
Logan stared at the computer screen, rapt in his admiration of the vision before him. 

A picture, similar to but slightly variant from the hundreds – no, _thousands_ – of others contained within his hard-drive… and on backup, in triplicate, on c.d.'s and disks. Mini, zip, and even some old-fashioned floppies thrown in for good measure. All under lock and key and within the protective confines of three different safe deposits at three of the most secure facilities in all of Seattle. If the unthinkable happened and his computer system crashed, at least those copies would be salvaged. 

No printouts… couldn't have those lying around, in case anyone were to stumble upon them. There was no shortage of individuals loafing about his apartment these days, and most of them had their wandering eyes and lack of comprehension of the term "privacy". 

So he reserved his viewing for when he was alone, for when he could pop open a few dozen windows on his computer and just stare and stare and stare… for hours, until the next uninvited visitor dropped by. Of course, sometimes that visitor was the object of his admiration, and those stopovers were quite welcomed, and long awaited. Not that he could ever do more than just look. No, touch was out of the question, at least for now. But soon enough… soon enough… 

Because Logan had a plan. And like all of Logan's plans, this one was quite brilliant, if he didn't say so himself. 

Or was that if he _did_ say so himself? How did that old phrase go… 

Whatever. It was brilliant. For Logan Cale was brilliant, and thus anything that was conceived of his mind must too, by default, be brilliant. It was the kind of plan that made him cackle in glee… though his cackle sounded more like a girlish giggle. But it was quite gleeful, and that was good. 

Running a finger over the surface of the picture, he reveled in the perfection that was the creature before him – and immediately cursed himself for leaving a greasy smudge of a fingerprint on his screen – but what did he expect? Manticore had made them all that way. Still, the fact that the beauty was genetically engineered did nothing to detract from its impact. Actually, it made it all the more appealing… and made him wonder just how far that perfection extended… 

He let out a wistful sigh and, glancing at the clock, closed up all the windows and the secret password-encrypted folder in which they were contained – arranged in chronological order, cross-referenced by various keywords relating to lighting, facial expressions, amount of skin showing, etc. 

Logan rubbed his chin thoughtfully and, upon nicking his finger on his stubble, decided it was time for a shave. Maybe a shower too, and change of clothes, plus a haircut before he set off to put his _brilliant_ plan into motion. 

After all, if he wanted to win Alec away from Max, he was going to have to look his best. 

  


**- to be continued - **


	2. Oops, I Missed a Heat Cycle… or Three

  
  
  


** The Boy is Mine **

  
- Oops, I Missed a Heat Cycle… or Three - 

  
  
Deep in thought, Max hunched over the low bench at Jam Pony, absorbing the words before her at a speed impossible of any human. She didn't even notice Alec's arrival until he was leaning right over her shoulder. 

"Hey Max," he chirped, "Whatcha doin'?" 

She jumped, immediately slamming shut the heavy book resting on the narrow wooden panel, but not before Alec managed to stick in his hand to keep her place. 

"Ouch!" he exclaimed, though his injury didn't prevent him from snatching the object of interest up into his grasp, and away from Max. 

"Hey," she leapt up from her seat, lunging toward him, "give that back!" 

But he ducked out of the way while glancing at the cover, and read aloud, "Animal physiology." He looked at Max. "What do you need this for?" Then the proverbial light bulb went off behind his eyes, and he raised his eyebrows as understanding dawned. "Oh, does it have something to do with the cure for the virus?" 

Max pondered this a moment, her face glazing over blankly. Finally, she answered, "Yes." 

He nodded and flipped the book open to the page she'd been reading. "Why are you looking at the section on feline mating cycles?" 

"Uh," she stuttered, trying to keep from panicking, "because… I have feline DNA… and it might help with, you know…" Suddenly, her gaze narrowed and she scowled at him. "Was there something you wanted, Alec?" 

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Nope. Just bored, is all." He glanced around the interior of Jam Pony. "Business sure has been slow around here lately," he observed. Even Normal wasn't yelling his usual bip, bip, bips, since a great many of them had nowhere to bip to. 

"Well, find your entertainment elsewhere," she snapped, snatching her book back. "Oh look, there are a couple of girls you haven't slept with yet." 

Alec immediately turned to follow her line of vision. "No," he replied, sounding slightly disappointed, "I'm pretty sure I've slept with the one on the left there… and I'm positive I slept with the one on the right. What was her name again? It rhymed with something she does very well…" 

Max frowned, staring at the other woman. "Is she foreign?" 

"Um, I don't think so. Why?" 

"Well, I'm just wondering what kind of parents would give their kid a name that rhymed with 'fake an orgasm'." 

"Ha, ha," Alec replied dryly. "Brooke!" 

Max blinked. "What?" 

"Rhymes with cook." He gave her a disapproving look. "You know, I do appreciate other things in life besides sex." 

"Yeah, money and food. What broad horizons you have." 

"That's more than I can say for you." 

"Huh?" 

Alec nodded toward her book, failing to notice the slight paling of Max's usually coppery skin. "The virus." 

"Oh," she exhaled in relief. "Shut up." 

A momentary look of hurt flashed across Alec's face, but then he grinned. "You know what, I think I'll go reacquaint myself with Brooke," he looked toward the blonde who was now alone, leisurely flipping through a magazine, and his grin widened. "Get myself a second helping." 

Max attempted to suppress the disappointment that surged up as she watched him swagger away. Ah well, maybe it was for the better. After all, she couldn't have him dwelling any further on the question of why she was researching the details of her feline mating cycles. How was she to explain to him, or to anyone else, that she hadn't had a heat episode in almost a year – and that _disappointed_ her? But how else was she supposed to follow through on her plan… 

She grinned suddenly. Well, if worst came to worst, she could always fake it. 

  
**

- to be continued - 

**


	3. Sizing up the Competition

**A/N:** I have nothing against Asha's appearance, just so you know... It just went with the flow of the story. 

  
  
  
**

The Boy is Mine 

**

-Sizing up the Competition- 

  
  
Freshly shaven, bathed, and back from the hair salon, Logan entered the noisy, bustling locale of the Crash. He gave the interior of the establishment a thorough once-over and, not finding what (or rather, whom) he sought, headed toward the bar. 

"Club soda, please," he told the man behind the counter. No alcohol tonight… he had to keep his concentration. Besides, it wasn't as if he'd really drink any of the crap they sold in here anyway. 

"Hey Logan," a perky voice greeted at his side. He suppressed a sigh and turned to face his visitor. 

"Hello Asha." 

The smile the blonde was giving him grew even larger, until it hurt Logan's face just to look at it. 

"How you doin'?" she somehow said around a mouthful of seemingly far too many teeth. Recalling that he was acquaintances with a dog-man, and he'd had a girlfriend who'd come back from the dead once, he managed not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. 

"Good." His drink arrived and he took a sip, glancing away before he was caught staring. "You?" 

"Good, good," she said, head bobbing up and down. "You meetin' up with someone?" 

Logan glanced at her, hiding a frown behind his glass. Since he'd broken up with Max - yes, _he'd_ broken up with Max… don't bother to argue otherwise - and he'd never agree to greet an informant someplace this close to his own territory, who could she think he'd come to meet? Surely, she couldn't suspect the truth… could she? 

"Why do you ask?" 

She shrugged, her head bobbing once more, though he couldn't understand why. Was she agreeing?… stretching her neck?… practicing her ostrich impression? 

"No reason. Just that you never really came to the Crash before, 'cept when you were meeting up with Max… It didn't strike me as your kinda place." 

He let out the breath he'd been holding. Right, of course not. This was Asha after all. With the last year they'd spent working together, side by side on S1W-EO collaborations, she hadn't even figured out that he _was_ Eyes Only. He bet if he took off his glasses and combed his hair back, he could run around in red and blue tights and she'd never make the connection. 

"What are you talking about?" he said, his voice carefully indifferent. "I love this place. I come here all the time." 

"You do?" Her eyebrows rose comically. No, wait, her eyebrows _rose…_ the comical part was already there. Hmm, how was it that he'd never noticed before how much Asha resembled a cartoon character? 

"Well, when I can, that is…" 

Yeah, that funny pinched nose… 

"… I'm usually just too busy to drop by." 

Widely spaced eyes… 

She beamed at him. Logan squinted and raised a hand to protect his eyes. 

… Radioactive smile. 

"Yeah. You, always with the saving the world and doing what's right thing." 

"Um… yeah." He glanced away and paused as a thought came to him suddenly. "Listen, Asha," he began and she leaned forward eagerly. "You and Alec… is there something going on between you two?" 

Asha shook her head rapidly, eyes widening to saucer-like proportions. "Oh no, nothing at all." 

"So… you're not involved?" 

"No. We're not involved. Never were." 

"Oh." He sipped his drink and discreetly peered over the blonde's shoulder as he noticed that his target had finally arrived. Mmm, and he was wearing that leather jacket that he looked so scrumptious in… 

The transgenic glanced around the room, and Logan quickly ducked back so Asha's head would block him from view. 

"… In fact, I'm not involved with _anyone_ at the moment," she was saying. 

"Huh?" Logan glanced at her. "Oh. Right." He stood suddenly. "Yeah, well it was nice running into you, Asha. We should get together… sometime… catch up on things and whatnot." 

"Sure Logan," she replied eagerly, beaming up at him. 

Spots appeared in his vision before he could glance away quickly enough. 

"How about…" 

Logan fumbled over a chair leg, and barely caught himself in time as his sight gradually began to be restored. "Later," he called out over his shoulder, stumbling away. 

Well it seemed that Asha was definitely out of the picture, which left only Max, and whatever other random females managed to capture Alec's eye… but Logan wasn't too worried about any of them. Max - she was the one he had to watch out for. Persistent little thing… just look how she'd chased him around for nearly two years before he came to his senses and realized who he _really_ wanted. She'd make for some tough competition. 

Ah well, he could handle it. After all, he was Logan Cale… what couldn't he handle? 

His foot caught on something and he fell forward, landing flat on his face on the dingy floor of the Crash. Spectators paused, but they had little time to gawk as he bound up quickly, hardly fazed by the experience. After all, he was Logan Cale… what couldn't he handle? 

Wait a minute… hadn't he said that already? 

  
**

- to be continued - 

**


	4. That Cale – an Odd Flavor

**A/N:** Well, it's been a while since I began this story, and I can't exactly recall the timeline I had in mind at the time. So let's say this is post-LATR, so Alec knows that Logan thinks he and Max are "together". 

  
  
  


** The Boy is Mine **

- That Cale, an Odd Flavor - 

  
  
Alec had just finished the world's shortest, and most humiliating - primarily for his opponent, and secondarily for himself, as he witnessed the desecration of the sport at his partner's hands - game of pool, handing Sketchy his ass on the proverbial platter yet again. It was at that point that a strange tingling at the back of his neck alerted him to the fact that something was amiss. Regretfully, it wasn't a newly acquired spidey-sense, or anything so glamorous that was responsible for the feeling. It was merely the sensation of someone standing so close behind him that their warm, stale breath was bringing the miniscule hairs located there to an erect state. He briefly indulged in the thought that it had better be a really tall - and hot, that part being a given and not necessarily requiring restatement - chick, before he turned to face this invader of personal space. 

For a brief moment, he was staring point blank into two iridescent blue eyes, gleaming with a maniacal and entirely unholy light. 

Alec screamed and jumped back a foot, until his ass collided with the pool table behind him, shaking its sturdy frame and disrupting the new game that was now underway. 

"Woah, man," Sketchy commented adeptly, turning just in time to see the look of sheer terror on his friend's face fade away into surprised discomfort. Deciding the other man needed a moment to collect himself, he turned toward the game's participants and apologized for his buddy's momentary lapse in manliness. All were understanding and quite forgiving. After all, it wasn't every day that the great playa himself squealed like a little school girl in the midst of a crowded bar full of most eligible, and quite accommodating, females. 

Alec, on the other hand, paid no mind to the attention he'd garnered through his uncharacteristic behavior. He was too busy staring in relief at Logan's now very normal eyes, as he attempted to return his thundering heart rate to its usual pace. 

No maniacal gleam… not even a hint of anything amiss. It must have been the glare from the Crash's lighting playing off the lens of Logan's glasses. Just some trick of the eye. 

Nothing to worry about. 

Nothing at all. 

"Hello Alec," Logan said, flashing him a large smile. 

"Uh… hey Logan," Alec managed, easing away from the pool table - sideways, of course, having no desire to close those precious few inches between him and other man - and sought out a refuge in the packed room. 

"I'll go get us some beers," Sketchy offered, eyeing the bar. He was gone before Alec could protest, leaving the transgenic to find an unoccupied table on his own. Well, except for Logan, who trailed behind him without invitation. 

Unfortunately, it was a busy night at the Crash, and most of the tables were already taken. Alec finally settled for one secluded table situated in a particularly poorly lit area of the establishment. Usually, it wouldn't have bothered him where he sat, but tonight… tonight, for some reason, he wished he could have snagged a seat somewhere more out in the open, closer to the crowd. Strange, since he usually tried to avoid exactly that sort of thing, being a hunted man and all. 

"I don't think Max is coming by tonight," he said after an awkward silence, realizing that Logan would probably only come to a place like this if he planned to meet up - or run into - someone. 

Logan blinked at him, owl-like, his gaze vaguely distracted. "Hmm…? Oh, I'm not here to see Max." 

Alec didn't bother to hide his surprise. "You're not?" 

Almost immediately, something clicked in his head, and he bit back the comical 'O' his lips twitched to form. 

Right. Max and Logan were no longer "like that". Wait… they were "not like that" to begin with; so that meant now they were "like that". Or was that not "not like that"? No, hold on… double negatives cancel each other out, so that would actually mean that they were "like that". Which they weren't. So they were not "not like that", and definitely not "like that", which left only "that". 

What?! That didn't even make any sense! 

Goddamnit, why the hell did Max always have to make things so confusing? 

"Alec?" 

He was brought out of his thoughts quite suddenly as he looked up to meet Logan's concerned gaze. 

"What?" 

Logan frowned. "You've been zoned out for like the last five minutes. I would've left you to your thoughts, but you looked like you were going to start cryin' or something." He shrugged. 

Alec stared back at him incredulously, replying quite indignantly, "I am a highly disciplined soldier and a trained assassin. I do not cry." 

"What about that time at Josh's, when we watched 'Titanic'?" 

Alec slumped down in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at the tabletop. "Well, I'm not made of stone, man," he shot back, unhappy at the reminder. Then he muttered under his breath, "I can't believe she threw the necklace away…." 

A moment later, he suddenly shot upright and ran a hand through his messy hair, not taking notice of the way Logan's eyes fluttered halfway shut as he followed the movement closely. "Anyway, about Max…" he began. 

He knew he'd told Max he'd go along with this little charade of hers, and he'd already had his talk with Logan… but with every day that passed, he couldn't help but feel that he was being pulled further and further apart by this little tug-o-war of theirs. It'd be so much easier if everyone would just be honest and upfront, and say what was on their minds! 

"Look, Alec," Logan interrupted, his voice calm and soothing, in harsh contrast to Alec's current state. "You don't need to talk about this. I told you already, I've come to terms with it. You and Max are together now, and I just want you both to be" - a muscle twitched in his cheek - "happy." 

Alec suppressed a sigh. Despite the generous words, it was painfully obvious that the other man was anything _but_ happy about the idea of Alec becoming involved with his ex- … whatever the hell she was to him. 

"Logan, there's something I really think you should know about me and Max - " he forged on, preparing himself for the unpleasant task of divulging the truth. 

"Alec," Logan's hands shot out across the table, grasping one of Alec's in his own. The action was enough to startle the younger man into silence. "Please," he said quietly, "you don't have to explain to me; I understand." 

When Logan's thumb began to gently stroke his palm, Alec used all the strength his enhanced genetics allowed him to snatch the appendage away. He stared at the older man, who watched him intently, seeming not at all bothered by the brusqueness of his withdrawal. 

"You know what man," Alec said, suddenly standing. "I'm goin' to the bar to check out what's takin' Sketch so long with the beer. You," he glanced over his shoulder to watch his step as he backed away, "stay here and, um… save the table." 

"Whatever makes you happy," Logan smiled. 

"Yeaah…" 

It took all of Alec's self-restraint not to run as he bee-lined toward the bar, missing many flirtatious smiles and "come-hither" looks of all the available - and some not so available, but readily willing to remedy the fact if given reason to do so - female patrons in the meantime. 

Finally, he reached his oasis, all but slamming into the bar as he came to an abrupt halt. "Scotch, straight up," he croaked out to the bartender. 

"Oh, hey Alec," a familiar voice greeted shyly from his left. 

He glanced to the side. "Hey Asha," he returned, his drink arriving just in time for him to punctuate the salutation by slamming back the amber liquid. 

"Hard day?" Asha inquired, watching curiously as he signaled for a refill. 

He shook his head. "Strange, just… strange." Asha nodded sympathetically… though he doubted she had any clue what he was talking about. "Hey," he said grinning with relief as an idea struck him. "Logan's over there; why don't you drop by and say hi?" 

She smiled brightly, but shook her head. "I already ran into him." 

"You did?" he muttered disappointedly, shoulder sagging minutely. 

"Mmm-hmm. He asked me out." 

"He did?" 

Alec pondered this revelation with a slight frown. He looked back at Asha and leaned forward conspiratorially. "You didn't notice anything… odd, about the way he was acting, did you?" 

The blonde's nose wrinkled up in brief consideration. "No… he seemed perfectly normal to me." 

Alec nodded, his lush lips still bowed downward, eyes darkened to a shade of forest green, and the cute little puckering between his eyebrows indicating that he was deep in thought. 

A little further down the bar, a loud thud was heard - the sound of flesh meeting wood. "Oh my god! Lady, are you alright?" 

The pair glanced over briefly to see the source of the commotion. A woman had apparently fainted in her seat. Strange. 

  
**

- to be continued -

**

  
  
I think I weirded myself out with that one.   
Be a doll and review, won't you? 


	5. Original Cindy, Licensed Confidante

**A/N:** A bit of a transitional chapter. 

  
  
  
**

The Boy is Mine 

**

  
- Original Cindy, Licensed Confidante - 

  
  
When Max entered the Crash, only to spot Alec comfortably chatting it up with Asha at the bar, she was too blinded by the tumult of emotions that rose up in response to notice the figure walking toward her in an equally distracted daze, until the pair came to a complete collision halfway to their respective destinations. 

Feeling the impact of a fragile body bouncing off hers, and assuming she had just mowed over someone's grandpa in her preoccupation-ignoring the question of what business, exactly, would someone's kindly old grandfather have in a place like the Crash-an immediate apology began to roll off of Max's tongue. "Oh, I'm sorry sir. Are you-?" 

She broke off suddenly as she glanced down only to find a dazed Logan lying prostate on the ground, his glasses askew on his face and one shoe missing from his foot. Strange, how easily his shoe had come off, Max pondered distractedly. There hadn't even been that much force when they'd collided. 

"Oh Logan!" Max said, startled to run into her ex… well, quite so literally. 

But she was even further puzzled to notice as she watched him readjust his glasses and snatch up the fallen shoe, that said shoe was a few sizes too large for his foot. In fact, Logan's feet were quite… tiny. As she studied them with greater attention, she realized that they looked quite absurd on a man of his size, and would have been more appropriate on someone at least several inches shorter. Hell, they were even smaller than hers! 

Logan had put the shoe back in place, but was still seated on the floor, struggling to get back to his tiny little feet. He gave Max a slightly annoyed look, but said nothing. 

"Hey, I'd offer you a hand, but…" she held them up to show where her fingers were left bare by the workout gloves she preferred to sport for her messenger job. "Probable death thing and all," she finished with a casual shrug. 

"It's okay," Logan replied, finally standing and readjusting his glasses once more in forcefully nonchalant manner. He gave Max a weak grin. "I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." 

There was a pause as the pair glanced at each other, sharing forced smiles as they both shifted uncomfortably. 

"So…" Max began. 

"Um, yeah…" 

"How've you been Logan?" 

"Alright, alright. How about you?" 

"Pretty good, I guess…" 

"That's good." 

"Yeah…" 

Logan glanced toward the bar, and Max's jaw clenched knowing that Alec was probably still there with Asha. 

"So how are you and Alec doing?" he asked casually. 

"Good." Max smiled, willing the expression to look natural. "Great." She noticed the slight darkening of his expression, but attributed it to the fact that he was probably still sore about the whole her breaking up with him and then hooking up with Alec thing. Feeling the slightest bit of guilt for, in an offhand way, flaunting her imaginary relationship with Alec, the smile became even harder to maintain. 

"Um, I think I saw Original Cindy over there… so I'll talk to you later, huh?" 

Logan nodded quickly, "Yeah, sure, later." 

Both eagerly scrambled away from each other, Max sending a sideways glance toward the bar again, where she found Asha sitting alone now. Hmm, Alec must've left while she was talking to Logan. She suppressed the surge of disappointment that rose up automatically to the realization that she wouldn't be spending the evening in his company, as they usually did after work. Well on the bright side, he hadn't left with Asha. 

Max slipped into the seat beside OC none too gracefully. It was more of a flop, just short of a crash, than a slip. Cindy raised one perfectly shaped dark eyebrow as she regarded her brooding friend. 

"Hey boo, what's with the pout?" 

"It's not a pout, it's a glare," she said, brow furrowing further. 

"Uh-huh. And what exactly is it that's got you 'glarin' like that?" 

"A certain blond-haired member of a government corruption exposing agency." 

"Ah," she nodded in understanding. "Original Cindy saw her chillin' wit' yo man earlier. 'Course," she drawled slowly, "it ain't like you can really blame her, boo. She don' know to stay away from what's yo's if you ain't markin' yo territory." 

Max glanced over at her friend, her frown transforming from one of irritation to puzzlement. Well, there wasn't much of a transformation, really. The girl didn't exactly possess a wide range of expressive facial movements… though, again, she did seem to have perfected the art of pouting, even if she always insisted on denying it was a pout. 

"Marking my territory?" 

Cindy gave a slight sigh and a roll of her eyes. "Well, it's a little crude fo' my usual tastes… but let's be honest here, Max. If you want to keep what's yo's, you gotta make sure to let the competition know to stay away." 

"Mark my territory…" Max muttered again, glancing forward thoughtfully. The churning of the gears in her head was an almost visible phenomenon. 

OC grinned, feeling quite triumphant in seeing that she had gotten through to the usually obstinate brunette with actually very little effort. She patted her friend lightly on the head with one delicate, perfectly manicured hand. "Good girl." 

Max quickly got to her feet, returning the expression with a somewhat wicked smile of her own. She bid the other woman a hasty goodbye and headed toward the Crash's exit. Cindy was right; it was time for her to mark her territory… in one of the most primitive forms known to man, woman, and all other members of the animal kingdom. 

Her eyes sparkled with a light that some might have considered dangerous, others enticing, and her head tilted to one side, as if her ears were picking up a sound only she could hear. 

And that sound, that sound was the primordial mating call. 

  
**

- to be continued -

**


	6. It's 3 AM … What are you doing here?

**

The Boy is Mine

**

**- It's 3 a.m. … What are you doing here? -**

"Alec."

The prostrate figure murmured something in his sleep, shifting slightly in the bed before settling back down peacefully.

"_Al_-ec."

A grin quirked the one corner of his mouth, and his tongue shot out to run along his lower lip.

"Mmm baby, feels so good…yeah, just like that…"

"Alec!"

"Wha-?" He lurched up abruptly; his pillow was flung off the bed and into the nearest wall, where it connected with a soft _thwack!_ and flopped to the floor. "Mother of all things holy and good!" he exclaimed, seeing the figure perched not more than two feet before him in the dark room.

"I didn't realize your faith was so strong," came the dry response.

"Neither did I! Whatha fuck're you doin' here, Max?"

Max grinned, a mischievous spark lighting her eyes. "I didn't interrupt any interesting…dreams, did I?"

A look of mild terror passed over Alec's face, but it was gone so fast that she was left wondering if she'd merely imagined it. Instead of replying though, he stretched an arm out on the bed behind him, leaning his weight back on it. Rubbing his eye with his fist in a manner that was entirely too endearing for her comfort, he said, "Really Max, wha'sup?…not that I mind you showin' up in my bed in the middle a' the night…"

"What?" she said, glancing from his bare chest, back up to his face.

Alec froze.

"Uh…nothing. Sleep addled brain. Nonsensical string of random words spewing forth from my lips."

"You talk this much even right after you've woken up?"

A frown formed on the lips that she was so intently studying. "You came here to bitch at me?"

"I wasn't bitching at you. I was just…asking a question."

"And you managed to insult me in the same breath. Quite a talent you got there."

It was on her tongue to respond with her usual answer of "Shut up", but somehow she thought that too might be interpreted as a less than friendly remark. When Alec had become such a sensitive individual, she couldn't say, but she figured it wouldn't kill her to be just a trifle more civil than her normal self.

"Max…?"

She glanced up. He was staring at her, a slightly puzzled expression on his face. Hair somewhat tousled, shirtless, sheets tangled about his waist-leaving Max questioning whether he slept au natural (and desperately hoping that the answer was yes)-he was, she concluded, the very personification of all her recent wet dreams. Insert lustful sigh here.

Alec was still in the process of staring, his puzzlement deepening, when she launched herself at him and proceeded to shove her tongue down his throat.

She supposed she could have used a bit more finesse, but then that would have cost her the element of surprise. 'Sides, inhale it or savor it-the chocolate tasted just as sweet going down either way.

Unfortunately, said piece of chocolate did not seem to want to…go down.

"Max," he gasped, trying to extract his lips from hers. "What the hell are you doin'?"

"Um," her bold hands sought out the answer to her earlier question of just what was under those bed sheets, "I'm in heat?"

Unfortunately, Alec seemed quite intent on salvaging whatever little virtue he had left intact. Grabbing both her wrists in his own hands, he threw Max bodily off himself; she landed none too softly on the bed next to him. However, Max used his hold on her arms to flip him onto his own back, quickly climbing atop him before he had a chance to recover. Alec, once aforementioned recovery had been attained, then proceeded to roll them over once more, in hopes of overpowering her with his superior body weight.

But alas, they had run out of room in which to roll, and the final move resulted in both landing in an awkward pile of flailing limbs and jabbing appendages on the floor next to his bed.

"_Ow!_" Alec howled in pain from his place underneath Max. His entire pelvic region thrust upward, meeting Max's groin, and causing her to gasp in confusion-laced desire. There were definitely some mixed signals being passed around here.

Releasing her wrists, both of his hands reached down behind him, one to cup his injured rear, the other to pull out the object responsible for his current state of distress.

"Damn it, I just stapled my ass!" he exclaimed, regarding the offending device with a heated glare for a moment before tossing it aside.

"Why did you leave the stapler on the floor?" Max frowned, still not relinquishing her dominating position.

Alec blinked up at her. "Where else would I put it?"

But then he was once again distracted by the sensation emanating from his nether regions. "Shit, that hurts." By the grimace on his face and the slightly squirmy little dance he was doing, it soon became apparent to Max that the instrument of pain was still lodged within the wound.

"Here, let me," she said, raising herself up to flip him onto his stomach.

The tiny metal object had attached his boxers to his flesh; unfortunately, that meant she had no excuse to remove said boxers. Damn.

And speaking of the boxers…Max found her attention momentarily diverted from the little red chili peppers gracing the white material, by the words 'HOT STUFF' emblazoned across his ass in vivid orange letters.

But, distraction aside, there was an injury to tend to here.

"Uh, Max…" Alec began hesitantly, the side of his face scrunched up against the carpet. "Are you using your…_teeth_?"

"Mrmmph." Max sat up and spat the little piece of metal across the room. "Well, my nails are too stubby," she said, waving the fingers of her right hand in his face to illustrate her point. Then she leaned back, studying her handiwork. Satisfied, she swatted him across one firm cheek, making him jump slightly, "All done."

"Um, thanks," he said, easing his way out from under her body. He eyed her warily as he pulled himself into a sitting position. "Okay, you wanna tell me what that was all about?"

"Jeez Alec, do you have like a non-existent short-term memory? Remember, the staple…it was lodged in your flesh…I was trying to get it out…?" she waved her hand in a circular, continuing motion.

Alec ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a long breath of air. "No, I'm talking about what happened before that…you know, with the whole jumping me thing?"

"Ohhh…" Max nodded slowly in comprehension. Then she casually raised one slender shoulder. "Like I said, I'm in heat."

Speaking of which, wasn't it time for her to get back to the whole 'marking her territory' thing that OC had told her about? But before she could proceed, Alec, seeming to realize her intent-perhaps by the predatory glint in her eyes and the way she licked her lips, as she practically salivated at the sight of him-held up a hand to ward her off.

"No, Max, you're not in heat."

Huh? She paused in mid motion, sitting back on her heels to stare at him instead.

He sounded pretty confident about that; and though it was true, she wasn't…how would he know that?

"How the hell would you know?" she said, fixing him with a glare. As far as seduction techniques went, hers could definitely use a little practice. Threatening facial expressions and language bordering on abusive is not often conducive to sexual stimulation. Unless, of course, one's subject for stimulation is a particularly masochistic individual. But that's a tale for another day.

"Because, I was able to stop you from doin' what you were trying to do."

Max stared at him as his words sank into her brain, at which point her face scrunched up in her characteristic look of displeasure.

"Are you saying you don't find me attractive?"

Alec gave a groan of frustration and shook his head. "No, what I'm saying is that if you were in heat, you'd be releasing pheromones that would make it _impossible_ for me to resist you. It's a by-product of our feline DNA, just like your heat cycles."

Max glanced away, nibbling her lower lip thoughtfully. "Damn, I knew I should've finished reading that chapter," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Hmm, nothing."

Alec nodded, staring at her wearily. "This is about Logan, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you heard about Logan an' Asha-"

"Logan and Asha?"

"You know, Logan asking Asha out, and now you're…what, tryin' to get him back?" He quirked an eyebrow. "But you can't really be trying' to make him jealous, seeing as how he already thinks you and me are…a thing."

Max watched him carefully, and then gave a small sigh of defeat. "Yeah, you're right…I guess I figured if he saw you and me all cozy, he might rethink this whole thing with Asha. Sooo…there's nothing going on between you and her."

Alec frowned. "Of course not; not when she's all hung up on Logan and everyone thinks I'm with you."

"Oh, okay."

So, if Asha was still all over Logan, and there was nothing between her and Alec-or at least nothing from Alec's perspective, which was pretty much as good as there being nothing there at all-then…

"Max?"

"Hmm?"

Alec scratched the back of his neck, looking rather uncomfortable, and in an entirely different manner than before. "I just think that maybe…you know, with Logan bein' with Asha an' all…maybe you really should try moving on. I mean, you were the one who broke up with him, knowin' that it wasn't safe for your two be together." He shrugged. "Maybe you shouldn't worry 'bout this whole making him jealous or gettin' him back thing."

Max studied Alec, who shrank back slightly under her inspection, as if anticipating some sort of physical assault. Finally, she gave him a small smile, "Yeah, I think maybe you're right."

"Wha-?" Alec's mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened to unprecedented proportions. "Are you saying you, uh, _agree_ with me?"

She took a deep breath and grinned at him. "Alec, there's something I have to tell you"-he raised an inquisitive eyebrow-"what you said, earlier, about me trying to get back at Logan…it wasn't true."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I wasn't thinking about Logan when I came here. I haven't been thinking about Logan at all for a while now…I was thinking about you."

"Mmm…I'm not gettin' it Max."

Max sighed, somewhat embarrassed by the impending confession. "I pretended to go into heat because I thought I could get away with acting on my urges…and then you wouldn't question what I was doing."

"Say again?" he puzzled. "I'm not sure we're on the same wavelength here."

"Argh!" leaning forward, she shoved him hard in the chest. "I want you, you numbskull!" A punch to the shoulder punctuated her words. "Do I have to spelt it out in writing, or do you get it by now?" She raised her hand for another blow, but this time Alec caught it before she could complete the motion.

"You…want…me?" he asked in a very small, very dazed voice.

Max shrugged embarrassedly, trying to tug her hands out of his grasp. "That's what I said," she muttered, not meeting his gaze. Her frustration grew as she stared at their still entwined hands, and she bit her lip in concentration.

"Max." Glancing up, she met Alec's eyes, "I want you too."

She stopped her tugging.

"You do?"

A small smile broke out on his face, wiping away the slight frown that had been there just a moment ago.

"Yeah," he said softly.

He leaned forward, slowly, to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"Isn't this supposed to be…harder?"

"What?" he laughed.

"You know, more obstacles? More angst? More waiting?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she shook her head. "Things don't work out so…easily. Something's gonna come along to mess it all up."

Alec chuckled low in his throat, and used his grip on her wrists to pull her to him and complete the act he'd begun earlier. "You've spent too much time with Logan."

Yes, it's not done yet.  Still a few more chapters to go.

But next...  An Interlude:  Song


	7. An Interlude: Song

The song belongs to Brandy and Monica and Atlantic Records…I've only distorted the lyrics to the point where all aforementioned parties would be embarrassed to claim it as their own.

* * *

**The Boy is Mine**

_As performed by Max and Logan_

**Max:** Excuse me, can I please talk to you for a minute?   
**Logan:** Uh huh, sure…you know, you look kinda familiar.   
**Max:** That's cause we dated for nearly two years, you idiot.   
**Logan:** I thought we _weren't_ dating…   
**Max:** Just shut up and listen. Anyway, I just wanted you to know, about somebody named… You know his name.   
**Logan:** Oh, yeah, definitely I know his name.   
**Max:** I just wanted to let you know he's mine.   
**Logan:** Uh…no, no, he's mine.

**(Chorus)**   
You need to give it up.   
Had about enough.   
It's not hard to see,   
The boy is mine.   
I'm sorry that you   
Seem to be confused.   
He belongs to me   
The boy is mine 

**(Max)**   
I think it's time we got this straight,   
Let's sit and talk face to face.   
There's no way you could mistake him for your man,   
He's not even gay!

**(Logan)**   
See I know that you may be,   
Just a bit jealous of the Cale,   
Cause you're blind if you can't see   
That he does swing this way.

**(Max)**   
See I tried to hesitate,   
I didn't want to say what might hurt you,   
But now you need to know the truth   
The other day me and him got fre-kay.

**(Logan)**   
Or maybe it was just a dream,   
Cause I can't believe that that could be.   
What is it in you he could see   
When I'm right here and willing.

**(Chorus)**   
You need to give it up.   
Had about enough.   
It's not hard to see,   
The boy is mine.   
I'm sorry that you   
Seem to be confused.   
He belongs to me   
The boy is mine.

**(Logan)**   
What with the things you do,   
Keep on acting so damn cruel.   
You must know he can't want you,   
And if you didn't know it, girl it's true.

**(Max)**   
I think that you should realize,   
And try to understand why.   
He is a part of my life,   
Manticore breeding program aside.

**(Logan)**   
You can say what you wanna say,   
What we have you can't take.   
From the truth you can't escape,   
You and him just don't equate.

**(Max)**   
Get it through your thick mind,   
I'm a girl - you're a guy.   
He prefers the honeys with big breasts,   
Not the dudes with hairy chests.

**(Chorus)**   
You need to give it up.   
Had about enough.   
It's not hard to see,   
The boy is mine.   
I'm sorry that you   
Seem to be confused.   
He belongs to me   
The boy is mine.

**(Logan)**   
You can't destroy this love I've found,   
Your silly games I won't allow.   
The boy is mine without a doubt,   
Might as well forget 'bout the blue towel

**(Max)**   
What makes you think that he wants you,   
When I'm the one that brought him to   
This special place in my… ::cough::… heart,   
Cause he was mine right from the start.

**(Chorus)**   
You need to give it up.   
Had about enough.   
It's not hard to see,   
The boy is mine.   
I'm sorry that you   
Seem to be confused.   
He belongs to me   
The boy is mine.

**Max:** He belongs to me   
**Logan:** The boy is mine, not yours   
**Max:** But mine!   
**Logan:** Not yours!   
**Max:** But mine!   
**Logan:** Not yours!   
**Max:** But mine!

I'm sorry that you   
Seem to be confused.   
He belongs to me   
The boy is mine.

**Next time:  We return to the story**


End file.
